The Federal Laboratory Consortium announced today that it is honoring PNNL with four 2006 Excellence in Technology Transfer Awards for the laboratory's development and commercialization of bioactive thin-film coatings for surgical implants, a brachytherapy seed cancer treatment process, Starlight information visualization system software, and SAMMS, a process for removing mercury and other toxic chemicals from the environment.
Bioactive thin-film coatings for surgical implants
A water-based thin-film calcium-phosphate technology developed by PNNL will soon enhance bone bonding and reduce the body's chance for post-surgical infection and implant rejection. The technology was licensed in 2004 to Bacterin, of Belgrade, Mont., and is ready for commercial application. Bacterin is a medical device testing facility for medical implant manufacturers and has FDA approval for applying the thin-film coating to medical devices for orthopedic and medical implants.
Brachytherapy cancer treatment seed
The brachytherapy seed cancer treatment process uses cesium-131, a radioactive isotope, to effectively and quickly provide a cancer-killing dose to a tumor. Through collaboration with PNNL researchers and access to the laboratory's facilities, IsoRay Medical, Inc., of Richland, Wash., expanded its cancer therapy technology for treating prostate and other cancers. The cesium-131 brachytherapy technology was patented in 2000 and therapy is currently available at more than 17 implant centers across the United States.
Starlight visualization software solves super-sized data analysis challenges
Starlight is being used by nearly
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Contact: Peter Bengtson
peter.bengtson@pnl.gov
509-372-4795
DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
17-Feb-2006